A luxurious Lakeland hotel and top-notch caravan park have been ranked among the country's best holiday retreats in the national accommodation awards, writes tourism reporter Nadia Jefferson-Brown.

Holgates Caravan Park, in Silverdale, has been ranked England's top campsite in the AA's annual accolades after beating off competition from more than 1,000 other sites.

Meanwhile, Miller Howe Hotel and Restaurant has scooped the RAC's Gold Ribbon award for its "superlative standards of comfort, hospitality, food, service, customer care and guest awareness".

The 12-bedroom luxury hotel overlooking Windermere, which now has a further three exclusive suites in the Miller Howe Cottage, has also been named in the AA's Top 200 Awards for 2003 and holds its own in a new American book entitled 1,000 Places to See Before I Die.

RAC head of hotels and travel Richard Day said: "The Miller Howe has won a well-deserved reputation as one of the most attractive country house hotels in Cumbria."

The hotel and restaurant was previously owned and run by celebrity chef, author and TV presenter John Tovey, who remains a consultant, before it was taken over in 1998 by former editor in chief of the European newspaper Charles Garside.

Since becoming a hotelier five years ago, Mr Garside has completely refurbished the property and has also just twinned the hotel with Highlands, a Sir Herbert Baker-built mansion in Capetown.

Holgates staff are celebrating their new status as AA Campsite of the Year for England 2003 after the range and quality of their facilities hit the right note in the AA's national rating scheme for parks.

As well as the distinction of holding the AA's top title, Holgates Caravan Park has also retained its top five-pennant award an honour owner Frank Holgate says is shared by his family and staff who help run the 100-acre park.

The Holgate family has owned the park since 1956, and tens of thousands of visitors head for the site each year to make use of the camping and caravan pitches, swimming pool and caf-restaurant complex as well as a new gymnasium fitted with more than £60,000 worth of exercising equipment.

The park is also a winner of the David Bellamy Conservation Award at its top gold level, because of the carefully managed woodland and natural habitats within the park.

The AA accolade also follows Holgates' 2002 success in securing the Best Park in Cumbria award, operated by Cumbria Tourist Board and the English Tourism Council, which saw Holgates competing as a regional winner in the UK holiday park of the year awards, in which it won a silver medal.

"The AA award is a wonderful way to begin 2003 and all members of our team here are delighted," said Mr Holgate. "We enjoyed a hugely successful season last year, our busiest ever, but our main concern throughout was not to let standards slip."

He added: "Credit must go to everyone here for their commitment."

January 17, 2003 10:00